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“Come on, Martha,” Rose cajoled, using the smile she knew almost always got her her way with her roommate and best friend. “You’ve been revising for three days straight. Your brain’s going to melt if you don’t take a break and I don’t think you can be a doctor with a melted brain.”
“I am a bit burned out,” Martha admitted, looking away as she rubbed at her temples. “Been reading this same page for twenty minutes, I think.”
“Let’s go do something fun, then! Give that big brain a break.” She paused, waiting for the conditions Martha was sure to insist upon and then started talking as soon as the other woman opened her mouth. “I promise there won’t be any alcohol, I know you don’t have time for a hangover.”
Martha’s smile was grateful and gorgeous and Rose felt her heart flutter a little bit like it always did. “Thanks, Rose.”
“No problem. You get ready, I’m going to pop down the hall to see if Rory will let me borrow his car for the night.”
Martha’s brow furrowed a bit. “Where are we going that we need a car?”
“You’ll see,” Rose promised with a smile of her own before stepping out of Martha’s room, closing the door behind her.
Twenty minutes later, they were in Rory’s car and headed out to the country. Rose had thrown a bag in the backseat but was refusing to tell Martha what was in it or where they were going except out of the city.
After an hour, when Martha had finally relaxed into the seat and was talking about something her brother had done last week instead of her upcoming exams, Rose pulled off onto a small country lane that didn’t look like it got much traffic.
“You gonna tell me why we’re in the middle of nowhere, yet?” Martha asked.
“Sure, we’re having a picnic,” Rose said with a grin as she shifted into park and turned off the car.
“And we had to come all the way out here to do that? There’s a park like three blocks from our flat.”
“You’ll see why I picked here,” Rose said, leaning back to grab the bag from the back. “Let’s go set up.”
Martha rolled her eyes fondly and followed Rose towards the empty field.
They set out one of the blankets Rose had packed to sit on and ate the cheese and crackers and sweets that she’d thrown in as well.
“Okay,” Martha said as she flopped back on the blanket after eating, “I see why you brought me out here.”
“Do you?”
Martha looked away from where pinks and purples and oranges were swirling in the sky as darkness started to settle on the world and met Rose’s gaze. “Yeah. I’m much more relaxed being a whole hour away from my study material and away from literally everything.”
“Oi, I’m something,” Rose protested, pushing lightly at Martha’s shoulder.
“You’re not stressful though,” Martha revised with a laugh.
“Fine, I’ll accept that. Although you’ve only figured out part of why we’re here of all places.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Just wait a bit.”
“Rooose,” Martha whined, turning over on her stomach. “You’re killing me with all the mystery today.”
“Just wait. It’s worth it.”
They chatted about the art classes Rose was teaching at the community center as the sun went down, leaving the field in the darkest night that Martha had experienced in a long time, city girl that she was.
Rose trailed off in the middle of a sentence and Martha looked over to find her staring at the sky, a soft smile on her face.
She turned back over on her back and looked up at the night sky that was now absolutely covered in stars, more than she thought she’d ever seen.
“Oh, that is gorgeous,” Martha breathed out.
“Yeah. It’s even better when you’re further from the city but I didn’t want to go too far,” Rose said, head still tilted upwards.
“This is where you disappear to some nights, isn’t in?” Martha asked softly. The quiet of the night around them felt almost sacred, like she shouldn’t disturb it.
“Sometimes I need room to think and this place makes me feel like I have the whole universe to fill with my ideas.”
Martha made an assenting noise, understanding completely now that she was out here. She moved closer to Rose, using her thigh as a pillow as she continued to watch the night sky.
The two of them stayed quiet for a few minutes. When Martha next dragged her gaze from the heavens she found Rose watching her, tender look in her eyes.
Martha’s heart flipped in her chest and her breath caught.
“Rose…” her name was a question and a prayer wrapped up into a single syllable as it fell from Martha’s lips.
Rose bit her lip and looked away. She shuttered her gaze, hiding the affection and want from Martha as Martha rearranged so she was on her knees and facing Rose.
“Rose, look at me,” she whispered, pleading.
She did, still obviously nervous and expecting a rejection.
Instead, Martha cupped her cheek in one hand and leaned forward to press her lips to Rose’s in a gentle kiss. She pulled away after a moment, leaning her forehead against Rose’s, eyes still closed.
“Okay, you were right. Definitely worth the wait,” Martha whispered, smile breaking across her face.
Rose giggled and proceeded to kiss the smile off Martha’s face like she’d always wanted to do.